Posts Tagged ‘giving’

Just a little something that rang true with me, so I thought I’d share. I’m starting today!

Greetings!

Have you noticed that there are some people who can let go of things easily and others who hold onto things for dear life? Well, historically, I’ve fallen into that second category.

So, a few years ago, I decided to counter my tendency to hold on by practicing letting go. I did that by starting a ritual that I call the “give-away game.” This is a feng shui ritual that consists of giving away or throwing away 27 items a day for 9 days in a row — that’s 243 things! I’ve just completed my latest round of “give-away,” and boy, do I feel lighter, clearer, and more excited about what I get to create next in life. I’ve done this practice three times now, and each time, wonderful things have happened: the stalled deal for my PBS show miraculously came through, the ideal business manager showed up in my life, and I lost 15 pounds, to name just a few. Everything we own carries an energy with it. As we let go of old energies, it clears the space for us to open to greater new energy. It’s amazing how letting go of old pots and pans can help us let go of the bigger things that hold us back.

I’ve had a lot of practice in the past few years in letting go. Last year, my family went through a big clearing-out process as we prepared to sell our family home (the one we’d had for 58 years). As we sorted through my mother’s belongings, I marveled at her ability to let go of things she’d had forever. Perhaps she had a sense of what was ahead (she passed away three days after the house sold). But letting go of that home and so many of the items I grew up with (much of the furniture was still the same) was a huge challenge for me. It represented the ending of my childhood (yes, I know that officially ended many years earlier, but there were deep emotional ties that went with that home).

Then letting go of my mother, just days later, was like the Mount Everest of releasing challenges. A few weeks ago, on the one-year anniversary of my mother’s passing, my family visited our old family home. The new family that bought our home is fabulous. They’ve renovated, repainted, and decorated it beautifully. And, best of all, there was love and laughter throughout the house. It was thrilling to see the “baton” being passed to this family.

Coincidentally, they have the same family configuration that our family had when my parents, brother, and sister moved in almost six decades earlier (one six-year-old girl and one five-year-old boy). Our letting go was their fresh start.

If you’re ready for a fresh start in any area of your life, I invite you to try the “give-away game.” Here’s how to do it: 1. Each day for nine days in a row give away or throw away 27 items. Notice what you’re hanging on to, not because you love it, but because you’re afraid to let it go. 2. Stand in your closet and touch or try on every piece of clothing. Ask yourself whether you want to carry that into your life ahead. If not, give it away or throw it away. 3. Clear out old books that don’t have messages that speak to you anymore, vitamins or medicines you no longer need, kitchen items that are cracked or worn-out. (Or how about those half-used shampoo bottles from four years ago?) 4. Fix items that are broken (or get rid of them). Clean items that are dirty. Put your loving attention on everything in your environment to see whether it represents who you are now. Then notice what happens in your life — and watch for miracles. As you let go of things that carry old energy, you also strengthen your ability to let go of old ideas of feelings that no longer serve you.. Then, you’re freer to create a magnificent future. After just finishing this third round of “give away,” I’m already eager to start the next round. Wishing you a beautiful letting go and fresh start,